October 20th – Opioid Coalition

Deputy Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, to speak at Omaha Opioid Conference

OMAHA, NE, September 25 – Wilson M. Compton, M.D., M.P.E. will be the Keynote Speaker at the “The State of Prescription Drug Abuse in Nebraska” conference on October 20th to be held at the Weitz Community Engagement Center on the UNO campus. Dr. Compton, a graduate of Washington University Medical School in St. Louis and a psychiatrist by training, “is the author of more than 150 articles and chapters including widely-cited papers drawing attention to prescription drug abuse problems in the U.S.” (Dr. Compton’s full biography is available here or at https://www.drugabuse.gov/offices/office-nida-director-od/biography-wilson-compton-md-mpe)

Following Dr. Compton, Dr. Curt Barr will discuss how the opioid epidemic has affected Nebraska and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson will address Nebraska’s response to the opioid epidemic. Following the lunch break will be several breakout sessions targeting each of the key constituents in the fight against the opioid epidemic.

This one day conference will feature experts speaking about the causes of addiction, pain management, an update on law enforcement activities, EMS response to opioid overdoses, the law regarding naloxone access and why it is used, an update on Nebraska’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, treatment and recovery from addiction, and community engagement to address the problem.

The conference is aimed at anyone and everyone who is concerned about the current opioid epidemic and its impact in Nebraska and surrounding states. Speakers will address the needs of teachers, counselors, health professionals, treatment professionals, law enforcement, first responders, and most importantly, parents.

For more information or to register, go to the Coalition Rx Facebook page or directly to the registration page. The cost for the conference is $30 which includes continental breakfast, box lunch, refreshments, and all conference materials. Participation is limited to the first 200 people who register.

The mission of Coalition Rx, founded in Omaha in 2015, is to reduce the misuse of prescription and non-prescription medicines by partnering with communities to raise awareness, provide community and professional education, prevention and treatment resources and public policy advocacy.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please call Dr. Edward DeSimone at (402) 280-2979 or (402) 679-1841, or email [email protected]. Coalition Rx headquarters can be reached at (402) 552-2221.